Porous container of a dry infusion commodity and cover combination



1 7, 1955 J. YOUNG ETAL POROUS CONTAINER OF A DRY INFUSION COMMODITY ANDCOVER COMBINATION Filed Aug. 26, 1954 H I. m m m m 2 m, m m I I I wINVENTORS JULIUS YOUNG BY BENJAMIN W.GOLMAN ATTO R N EY United StatesPatent POROUS CONTAINER OF A DRY INFUSION COMMODITY AND COVERCOMBINATION Julius Young, Detroit, and Benjamin W. Colman, Berkley,Mich., assignors to Pakko Laboratories, Inc., Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application August 26, 1954, Serial No. 452,274

9 Claims. (Cl. 9977.1)

This invention relates to a cover and bag combination, in which said bagis made of a porous material such as paper and contains a dry infusioncommodity such as tea or coffee, and more particularly to a combinationof the cover and bag which provides for covering a cup of boiling or hotwater into which the bag, directly secured to the cover is immersed.

This invention is closely related to our copending patent applicationbearing the same title as above, Serial No. 427,451, filed May 4, 1954.

The inventive construction here disclosed and claimed provides a coverfor a cup and secured directly to the cover by heat sealing means is asuspendable immersible bag. The cover which folds over compactly aboutthe bag is arranged with peripheral edges that may also be sealedtogether or closed in some manner about the bag, making a compactcontainer package that has the highly desirable and useful functionswhich are described below. The median portion of the cover folds aboutone edge of the bag and the bag is there secured to the cover. When thecover is opened up, the bag is suspended therefrom ready for immersionin Water or other liquid, the

cover being of a size to substantially cover the liquid, container so asto assist in retaining heat therein for as long a period as the coveroverlies the cup.

The preferred embodiment here described and shown takes the form of aporous paper bag of tea leaves and shreds secured to a paper covercoated or laminated with a heat sealing material such as polyethylene.

Up to the present time, the use of dry infusion commodities in porouscontainers, such as tea bags and coffee bags, has presented severalproblems. Among these are the difiiculty of anchoring a tea bag, forexample, positively to a cup of hot water so as to avoid having to fishit out with a spoon or the fingers. Oftentimes, the tag and string gointo the cup along with the bag, making for a messy disposal problem.Again, there is the problem of keeping the tea hot during the steepingoperation. Because tannin is extracted more readily at elevatedtemperatures, as the temperaturegoes down in an uncovered cup, theextraction rate decreases sharply. To more completely extract thetannin, squeezing of the bag is strongly recommended. There has,heretofore, been no easy or simple way of doing this, Withoutconsiderable messiness and dripping. And finally, the problem of what todo with a wet soaking tea bag, how to dispose of it without dripping ona tablecloth or dirtying extra dishes or littering up the saucer alongthe cup of tea, has certainly been present.

Some efforts in the past have been directed toward a solution of one orthe other of these many problems. However, the inventive constructionhere disclosed, for the first time, solves all of them in an extremelyeasy, simple and economical manner by the use of a single component,inventively arranged in the construction.

The invention comprises -a device in which a dry infusion commodity,such as tea or coffee, is contained in a porous bag or pouch of paperwhich is directly secured to a cup cover. A fold line is provided acrossthe cover, preferably through its center, and. the bag is securedsubstantially along this line.

The construction has for an object the provision of a heat containingcover for a cup filled with hot or boiling water.

Another object is to provide a construction in which a porous bag of adry infusion commodity is suspended directly from a cup cover, so thatthe bag is not lost in the cup ofv hot water.

A further object is to provide a cup cover that is a receptacle for thebag of water infused material, after use in making a beverage.

Still another object is to provide a cup cover so arranged that it willfold about the bag of water infused material after use, for squeezingthe bag substantially free of water.

Another object is to provide a cup cover that will receive the waterexpressed bag for deposit therewithin, without adjustment ormodification of the construction.

Additional objects will become apparent from the description of theinvention given below. Reference may be had to the appended drawing,forming an integral part hereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a frontelevational view of the inventive tea bag package construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is a top plan View of the expanded opened package.

Fig. 4 is a vertical view, partially in section, showing the openedpackage in position on a cup.

As shown in the several views of the drawing, the tea bag package 10comprises a top cover 12 and a tea bag The top cover 12 may berectangular or circular in form. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the cover 12is provided With integral leaf portions 16 adapted to fold togetherabout a line 18. The cover 12 is coated with a heat seal coatingmaterial 20, such as polyethylene, on the underside thereof. Theattachment portions 22 closely adjacent the fold line 18 are arranged toheat seal the tea bag 14 therebetween.

The tea bag 14 is made of a highly porous paper material, which isfolded and sealed about tea leaves and shreds 24 to form a packet. Oneedge of the bag 14 is secured directly to the cover 12 between theattachment portions 22 by heat sealing the polyethylene coating 20 tothe bag.

The dry infusion commodity may be coffee, flavored sugars or similarmaterials, other than tea, which are designed for making beverages orother potables. The tea bag 14 is designed to be immersed in water 25contained in a vessel or cup 26.

The cover leaf portions 16 are brought together about the bag 14, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, to cover the same. The outer peripheral sideedges 27 and bottom edge 28 of the leaf portions 16 may be defined byperforated lines 39, and these peripheral edges, 27 and 28, may be heatsealed together is desired. Or, the bottom edge 28 of both leaf portions16 may be heat sealed alone, leaving the side edges of the package open.

In operation, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the package 16 is disposed in openarrangement by first stripping the outer peripheral edges 27 and 28 fromthe cover leaf portions 16 by tearing along the perforated lines 30. Theleaf portions 16 are then spread out substantially in a single plane,the attachment portions 22 being somewhat upright. Upon filling the cup26 with boiling or hot Water 25, the tea bag-14 is immersed therein, thecover leaf portions 16 being suspended upon the upper lip edge of thecup and overlying the hot water in the cup.

The polyethylene coated cover 12 tends to reflect back a substantialamount of the heat emerging from the hot water and acts as a heatinsulator as well as a cover. Because the water remains at a highertemperature for a longer period of time, the extraction of tannin isirnproved, and the beverage resulting fromsteeping at highertemperatures is more desirable.

After the tea bag 14 has been sufficiently steeped in the beverage, thecover 12 is raised by grasping the attachment portions 22 or theparallel bottom perforated edges of the leaf portions 16 The cover leafportions 16 are thenv brought together about the tea bag 14 expressingthe surplus liquid therefrom. Squeezing of the tea bag is particularlyrecommended by the tea producers in their directions for making tea, asit is claimed to produce a better beverage.

After expressing the surplus liquid from the tea bag 14 into the water25, the package is ready to be deposited upon a table or other place.The enclosing cover leaf portions 16 serve to support the tea bag 14therebetween and to prevent staining or marking the table, and Whateverliquid is not expressed from the bag remains between the coated leafportions. Thus, a suit able receptacle for the used tea bag is providedby the cover 12. The entire operational use of the package 10 isperformed without the user once coming into physical contact with thetea bag 14, making for a pleasurable use of a difficult and often messyproduct.

The cup cover 12 may also be formed of paper laminated to aluminum foil,to whose surface may be applied the coating layer of the polyethylene20. Or the laminate may comprise first a layer of aluminum foil, then alayer of paper and a third coating layer of polyethylene. These optionalcover materials are among many which can be selectively employed for thecup cover 12.

Although the preferred embodiment uses a polyethylene coated paper,there are many other materials and methods of sealing which may also beused. For instance, a paper that resists the absorption of moisture maybe used with a thin adhesive coating or layer applied to the side andbottom peripheral edges, 27 and 28, to seal the side leaf portions 16into an envelope about the tea bag 14. Or, the side and bottomperipheral edges 27 and 23 may be stitched together with thread, wire orstaples to form the envelope package 10. Any suitable fastening,enclosing or sealing means may be used to secure the side peripheraledges. The cover 12 need not necessarily be made of paper, for plastic,metal or other suitable materials can be employed to serve in thiscomponent part of the package.

It is to be understood that the details of construction may be changedand varied in greater or lesser degree without departing from theessence of our invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a beverage infusion package, a cover member comprising papercoated on at least one side with heat sealable polyethylene, said memberbeing designed to cover a vessel for beverage making and provided with amedian line for folding said cover into two halves, a porous bagcontaining a beverage infusion commodity secured directly to the coatedside of said cover member along said median line, a portion of saidcover member adjacent said median fold line being secured in heat sealedrelationship to said bag on both sides thereof and forming an upstandingflange, so that said bag depends from said cover member into saidvessel, whereby said halves adjacent said flange may be brought togetherover said bag after infusion to express excess liquid from said bag.

2. in a beverage infusion package, a cover member comprising alamination of paper and a layer of heat sealable polyethylene, saidcover member being provided with an upstanding flange formed of portionsof the lamination closely adjacent and folded about a median line insaid cover member and integral side portions in substantially unip'lanaralignment normal to said flange, said side portions being designed tocover a vessel for beverage making, a porous bag containing a beverageinfusion commodity secured directly to the polyethylene side of saidcover member within said flange portions, said flange portions beingheat sealed to said bag on either side thereof so that said bag dependsfrom said flange into said liquid, whereby said cover side portions maybe brought together over said bag after infusion to express excessliquid from said bag.

3. In a beverage infusion package, a cover member comprising papercoated on at least one side with heat sealable polyethylene, said memberbeing designed as to size to cover a vessel for beverage making andprovided with a median line for folding said cover into two halves, aporous bag containing a beverage infusion commodity secured directly tothe polyethylene coated side of said cover member along said median.fold line, said cover member halves having portions thereof adjacentsaid line heat sealed directly to said bag along both sides of an edgeportion thereof to form a flange, so that said bag depends from saidcover member into said vessel, whereby after infusion of said bag saidcover member halves may be brought together about said bag to expressexcess liquid therefrom.

4'. The structure defined in claim 3, in which said bag is secured tosaid cover member within the side edges thereof, said portions adjacentsaid median line being heat sealed to each other on either side of saidbag, whereby an upstanding flange is formed in said cover Ln'ember forgrasping said package after infusion of said 5. In a beverage infusionpackage for use with a beverage making vessel, a cover member for saidvessel comprising paper coated on one side thereof with a layer of heatsealable polyethylene, said cover member being provided with a medianline for folding said member into two side portions, a porous bagcontaining a beverage infusion commodity having an edge portion thereofsecured directly to the coated side of said cover member along saidmedian line and between said side portions, so that said bag dependsfrom said cover member into said vessel substantially through the centerthereof, said cover member side portions having portions thereof closelyadjacent said median line heat sealed directly to said bag along eitherside of said bag edge portion and to each other beyond the sides of saidbag edge portion, whereby an upstanding flange is formed medially insaid cover member by said side portions for grasping of said packageafter infusion of said bag and whereby said side portions may be broughttogether about said bag after infusion thereof to express excess liquidfrom said bag.

6. The structure defined in claim 5, in which said porous bag is made ofpaper, and in a substantially rectangular shape.

7. The method of brewing a beverage in a vessel of liquid comprising thesteps of suspending a porous container of a beverage infusion commoditysecured within and between upstanding medial flange portions of a covermember overlying and covering said vessel in said liquid, said covermember being of paper coated on its underside with heat sealablepolyethylene, allowing said commodity to brew a suflicient period oftime in said liquid, grasping said upstanding flange portions andremoving said cover member from said vessel and said porous containerfrom said liquid, and bringing said cover member down upon two oppositesides of said porous container in compressing effect upon saidcontainer, expressing excess liquid from said container, and removingsaid moist container overfolded by said cover member from over saidvessel by said flange portions.

8. The method of brewing a beverage in a vessel of liquid comprising thesteps of suspending a porous container of a beverage infusion commoditysecured within r un and between an upstanding median flange of a membercovering and restingupon said vessel in said liquid so that saidcontainer is substantially central in said vessel,

said member being composed of paper coated on its un- V derside withheat sealable polyethylene, allowing said commodity to brew in saidliquid a sufiicient period of time, grasping said upstanding flange andremoving said container from said liquid, and folding said cover memberin two portions along said flange down about both sides of saidcontainer in compressing elfect to express excess liquid from saidcontainer into said vessel.

9. The method of brewing a beverage in a vessel of liquid comprising thesteps of pouring a substantial amount of liquid into said vessel,suspending a porous container of a beverage infusion commodity securedwithin and between an upstanding median flange of a member covering saidvessel in said liquid, said mem- References Cited in the file ofthispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,605 Salfisberg Mar. 5, 19402,308,241 Hogaboorn Jan. 12, 1943 2,606,836 McCabe Aug. 12, 1952 TrotmanOct. 21, 1952

1. IN A BEVERAGE INFUSION PACKAGE, A COVER MEMBER COMPRISING PAPERCOATED ON AT LEAST ONE SIDE WITH HEAT SEALABLE POLYETHYLENE, SAID MEMBERBEING DESIGNED TO COVER A VESSEL FOR BEVERAGE MAKING AND PROVIDED WITH AMEDIAN LINE FOR FOLDING SAID COVER INTO TWO HALVES, A POROUS BAGCONTAINING A BEVERAGE INFUSION COMMODITY SECURED DIRECTLY TO THE COATEDSIDE OF SAID COVER MEMBER ALONG SAID MEDIAN LINE, A PORTION OF SAIDCOVER MEMBER ADJACENT SAID MEDIAN FOLD LINE BEING SECURED IN HEAT SEALEDRELATIONSHIP TO SAID BAG ON BOTH SIDES THEREOF AND FORMING AN UPSTANDINGFLANGE, SO THAT SAID BAG DEPENDS FROM SAID COVER MEMBER INTO SAIDVESSEL, WHEREBY SAID HALVES ADJACENT SAID FLANGE MAY BE BROUGHT TOGETHEROVER SAID BAG AFTER INFUSION TO EXPRESS EXCESS LIQUID FROM SAID BAG.